1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to masonry blocks, and more particularly, to a masonry block having indentations and recessed edges to facilitate bundling and transport, and to allow the use of metal or plastic or other strapping materials with or without the use of separate edge protective materials.
2. Related Art
Masonry blocks are bundled together in bulk for storage and transport. Bundles generally include numerous rows and numerous columns, each having a plurality of masonry blocks. Typically, bundles are held together by one or more bundling straps, often made of metal or plastic, wrapped around the bundle, as well as by comer boards or other edge restraints, and additionally by stretch or shrink wrap, to hold the masonry blocks in the bundled configuration during transport.
Conventional masonry blocks are square or rectangular and have sharp edges as a result of adjacent faces of the masonry block combining to form right angles. As a result, several problems are encountered when wrapping bundles of conventional masonry blocks. First, if a metal strap is used, the strap must be bent around the comers of the bundle. Once the metal strap is bent, it is virtually impossible to tighten the strap around the bundle because the metal strap cannot slide, or flow, over the edges of the bundle. Second, if a plastic (or nylon or cloth) strap is used, upon tightening the strap around the bundle, the strap becomes frayed or cut, thereby compromising the integrity of the strap. Third, once a bundle is assembled, it is often pushed or dragged along the ground by a transient vehicle to move it from one location to another. However, as a bundle is being pushed or dragged, the straps that extend underneath the bundle often get hung up, abraded, or snagged on the ground, thereby making it difficult or impossible to move the bundle along the ground without damage to the strapping.
In an attempt to solve the problems associated with bundling masonry blocks and moving them along the ground, often times a block manufacturer uses corner edge protection to lay across the square corners of a bundle. While this technique may help prevent fraying or cutting of the strap, it does nothing to prevent snagging the strap on the ground. Also, this practice increases the materials, expense, and time needed to bundle masonry blocks.
Therefore, what the art needs is a new masonry block and an improved means to bundle masonry blocks that require no additional materials, that prevents snagging of the strap(s) on the ground, that permits tightening of the strap(s) without causing fraying or cutting, and that results in the use of horizontal straps eliminating the need for supplemental stretch or shrink wrapping.
The masonry block of the present invention solves the problems encountered with the use of straps in bundling conventional masonry blocks by providing a masonry block having at least one indentation on a face of the masonry block and at least one rounded recessed portion of an edge of the masonry block for the bundling strap to slide or flow over. The masonry blocks of the present invention can be positioned in a bundle such that an indentation of a face of a masonry block on the bottom row faces the ground, an indentation of a masonry block on the top row faces upward, and the rounded recessed portions of the edges of masonry blocks are on the exterior edges of the bundle to facilitate wrapping of the bundle with bundling straps.
An aspect of the invention is a masonry block, having a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a first side face, a second side face, a first long edge, a second long edge, a third long edge, a fourth long edge, a first short edge, a second short edge, a third short edge, a fourth short edge, a first intermediate edge, a second intermediate edge, a third intermediate edge, and a fourth intermediate edge, wherein the front face has at least one indentation for receiving a bundling strap, and wherein the first short edge has a rounded recessed portion for receiving a bundling strap, and the fourth short edge optionally has a rounded recessed portion also for receiving a bundling strap
Another aspect of the invention is a bundle of masonry blocks, the bundle having external edges, including a bottom row of masonry blocks. Each masonry block has a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a first side face, a second side face, a first long edge, a second long edge, a third long edge, a fourth long edge, a first short edge, a second short edge, a third short edge, and a fourth short edge, wherein the front face has an indentation extending from the first long edge to the second long edge, wherein the first short edge has a rounded recessed portion and wherein the fourth short edge optionally has a rounded recessed portion. A horizontal bundling strap extends horizontally around the bundle, wherein each masonry block of a row is positioned such that the front face of the masonry block is facing the ground, and each vertical external edge of the bundle has a rounded recessed portion. The horizontal bundling strap is positioned such that it passes through the rounded recessed portion of the edges of a masonry block.
Another aspect of the invention is a bundle of masonry blocks, the bundle having external edges, including a column of masonry blocks. Each masonry block has a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a first side face, a second side face, a first long edge, a second long edge, a third long edge, a fourth long edge, a first short edge, a second short edge, a third short edge, and a fourth short edge, wherein the front face has an indentation extending from the first long edge to the second long edge, the first short edge has a rounded recessed portion, the fourth short edge optionally has a rounded recessed portion, and wherein the column has a bottom masonry block and a top masonry block. A vertical bundling strap extends around the column of masonry blocks and is positioned within the indentation of the bottom masonry block and the indentation of the top masonry block, wherein the bottom masonry block is positioned such that the front face of the bottom masonry block is facing the ground and the top masonry block is positioned such that the front face of the top masonry block is facing upwards. Also, the edges of the indentations have rounded recessed portions.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of bundling masonry blocks having a front face, a back face, a top face, a bottom face, a first side face, a second side face, a first long edge, a second long edge, a third long edge, a fourth long edge, a first short edge, a second short edge, a third short edge, and a fourth short edge, wherein the front face has an indentation extending from the first long edge to the second long edge, the first short edge has a recessed portion, and the fourth short edge has a recessed portion. The method includes the steps of: (a) assembling a bottom row of masonry blocks such that the front face of each masonry block is facing the ground; (b) assembling a top row of masonry blocks such that the front face of each masonry block is facing upwards; and (c) securing one or more bundling straps around the masonry blocks such that the one or more bundling straps rests in the indentation of the front face of the top and bottom row of masonry blocks as well as rests in the recessed portions of edges of certain masonry blocks.
An advantage of the invention is that when a plurality of masonry blocks of the present invention are bundled for storage or transport, the bundle can easily be pushed or dragged along the ground without the bundling straps getting snagged, abraded, or caught on the ground.
Another advantage of the invention is that the bundling straps can be easily tightened because they pass over rounded recessed portions of one or more edges.
Another advantage of the invention is that the blocks can be stacked together into a wall unit without having any rounded recessed portions visible on the one side of the wall because the back face of the masonry blocks of the present invention has straight edges.
Another advantage of the invention is that it allows for the elimination of supplemental packaging material, e.g., stretch or shrink wrapping, thereby reducing packaging cost and waste.